Jugdral
by etellerannet7
Summary: Segments of the Jugdral continent's story, all happening from the point where a woman returns to her village after having living for years in the normal society. These chapters happen over a span of several decades.
1. Prologue: Sheele

She had decided to keep riding after sunset, as she had been thinking she was getting close. It was now three hours later and Sheele knew she was almost home. It felt calming, recognising the same atmosphere of the forest she had known so long ago, and getting rid of her homesickness at the same moment she realised she had it.

But she was anxious at the same time. What if they didn't welcome her? Oh, but they would. If anything, they would lock her in a cage to prevent her from being able to leave them ever again. She hadn't left on the best of term with the other villagers, but that was mostly because she had wanted to see the outside world. There were rules, especially for her, but she had decided to go against them. She still didn't regret leaving, though she knew the outside world hadn't exactly given her paradise. At least not permanently. Still, she was already missing it, feeling the world was now back to being the dream it had once been.

She had already decided that after returning to the village, she could never leave the forest again. Not because of the rules of the village which she still didn't respect. It was because her paradise had faded, and then plunged, until there had been nothing left but a hell hole. The slowly building pressure had reached it's peak and exploded. She should have seen it coming, she knew that, but she had been comforting herself with the illusion that everything would end up fine, the world would sort out itself. And now she was back in the forest, and the whole world was back to being an illusion. Even her own son.

Her son was what she would miss most, and be most sorry for leaving. And the worst thing was that in this forest, she could never mention him. It would remind the people of the man she had left with, the traveller who had stayed in the village for some months many years before. He had charmed the entire community, and when Sheele and him had started a relationship it was respected. He was despised, though, when people found out that he had made Sheele pregnant, and he announced that he wanted to take her to his home. Sheele had left with him, and never looked back. And now she was back _here_. Now she had to take the consequences.

She had recently realised, though, that the future would always contain a reminder of the reality of the outside world. She was pregnant again. With a child she would have to spend the next decades with, constantly reminding her of the child's father. And everything else, the whole mess which she would now never be able to escape totally.

Half an hour later, she sneaked into her old house, and woke her mother. She was greeted by a scream.


	2. Prologue 2: The man from Freege

I wrote this and the first chapter a long time ago, not really satisfied but I'm putting them here anyway. They might be given second drafts eventually.

* * *

Duke Alvis of Velthomer was preparing for a trip to Barhara to visit King Azmule at the king's request. A treaty was in the works with Agustria and Verdane in the west, and the king wanted all the dukes to be part of the process. Alvis was glad about the treaty, thinking that the nations were heading down a more cooperative path, but he was also skeptical. The current king of Verdane was a good man, having kept the nation out of any major conflicts. This was a big change from his father, who had been known as a barbarian driven by his bloodlust. The problem with the current king, Alvis thought, was that he had learned the most effective ways of gaining control over other nations by acting nicely to them. This was to be feared. Agustria was not as big a problem as it had had close ties to Alvis' homeland, Grandbell, for more than a century. But the many Agustrian lords could never be completely trusted.

Alvis was lost in his trail of thoughts about the neighbouring nations when he was interrupted by a servant.

"Sir Manfroy of Freege is here, Duke Alvis. Shall I bring him in?"

Alvis was not surprised by the news. He had hoped to be on his way to Barhara before Manfroy's next attempted visit, but realised just now how unrealistically optimistic that wish had been.

"I will talk to him in my private chamber, alone, as usual. Show him the way."

"Are you sure you don't want some guards to follow you?"

"Yes. Now go get him."

Anxious to get a few moments to himself before confronted by his visitor, Alvis almost ran to his chamber. He entered, let the door stay open and sat down behind his desk, trying to look as calm as possible. A few moments later Manfroy came through the door, shutting it behind him. The two men stared at each other for a moment.

"Please sit down," Alvis said.

Manfroy took the chair opposite from Alvis, but he did not speak. They were still looking each other in the eyes, in what Alvis thought to be a test of character strength. Alvis had not felt scared of any other person in many years, but with Manfroy it was getting very close. This man was not to joke with, a man who always had an objective in the eye and never dealt with compromises. He was an old man who seemed to know almost everything books could teach, and who knew how to deal with people. Alvis knew he would have to be carefull.

"Are you going to speak?" Alvis said after a while. He did his best not to seem conserned in any way.

"I might as well," Manfroy finally said, "but you know as well as I what I am here for. Have you thought about my proposal?"

Alvis was furious, but he stayed in his seat. "If that is all that brought you here, I will have to dissappoint you. Like I told you the last time you asked, I still don't want part in your trickeries and I don't fear your blackmail. So leave now, I will be departing soon myself."

"The gathering you are going to now can be taken advantage of. If you choose not to help me there I will pull other strings, and I do not promise that you will gain the same position."

"Be gone. With your knowledge you probably know that I can strike you dead in seconds, and no one will care." For a moment Manfroy's eyes swayed to look at the pendant hanging around Alvis' neck. He looked neither surprised nor scared. After less than a second he looked Alvis in the eyes again.

"But you won't," he replied.

"You have been nothing but an annoyance to me. I most certainly will."

Manfroy kept his calm face, but Alvis felt he could see something change in the man. Change for the darker. Manfroy nodded, sat up and left the room. Alvis stayed in his seat for a few minutes, then went back out to continue his travel preparations.


	3. Prologue 3

Also written a long time ago.

* * *

"Are you absolutely sure that this is a good idea? Your judgement has been proven wrong a couple of times."

"Yeah, but it has been right more than a hundred, and I'm still young. I don't make hasty decisions. You know that, father."

"You say that, even though the news came this morning?"

"I have had time to think it through, and I know enough of the world already to realise how it will work out. You know that."

"I guess I do. But though I trust you most of the time, I still won't allow a thing like this without checking through your preparations myself."

Ethrin broke in. "Please, Your Majesty, you know what is at risk here! If Grandbell doesn't get our aid, not only will the damages be catastrophic, Verdane may even come in a position of power enabling full-fledged war!"

"I already know everything you have to say, Ethrin. And I would never show my back to Grandbell in times of trouble, our nations are too close for that. But we are basing this on the words of just _one _scout, and I'm not sure that it is enough for me to dispatch a large force of my people. I will not accept it before either hearing from Grandbell or getting confirmation of the situation." The older man did not say this in anger, but he got his critical point through to his son.

"Okay, then," Cuan responded. "Then, father, let me take a small force of our fastest soldiers with me. If we need to fight, and I assure you we will, we fight. Otherwise we stay at a distance. When you hear from your messengers and are satisfied, you send us reinforcements."

Before King Calf gave his answer, Cuan quickly adressed the man standing next to him. "Glade, go get Fin. As soon as possible." Glade quickly left the room.

The king watched the man go. "You are quick in your backup plans, son. But isn't it irrational? I don't find a conflict with Verdane worth losing my son."

They shared eye contact for a few seconds. "I want to take the Gae Bolg," Cuan said firmly.

"You will do no such thing. Not only do we constantly need it's presence in case an attack comes from Thracia, it is also too much of a risk to reveal for such a small conflict. I will let you leave, Cuan, but you will have to take your own people with you. And I say this as much as a father as as a king: Do not get yourself killed. _Please_. And the same goes for Ethrin."

"I would never risk my wife's life, father. But thank you. We shall be leaving in the morning. Do send us reinforcements, will you?" Before the king could respond, Cuan turned to his wife. "Come, Ethrin, we have preparations to make." Cuan quickly told his father that he would see him again that night, and then went for the door with Ethrin.

In the hallway they found Fin and Glade rushing towards them. "I need a list of everyone able to go out tomorrow," Cuan told Fin.


	4. Chapter X: Defending Jungby

Jungby's defenses were as ready as they could get, but that was not nearly enough. What they could see from the towers of the castle this morning was a frightful sight – hordes of soldiers from Verdane were appearing all around the city. There were thousands of barbarians, probably the majority of Verdane's whole army. All of Jungby's soldiers were mounted in strategic positions as archers and footmen, but they weren't nearly enough and the Verdanians would be able to storm right into town and cause massive damage.

The Verdanians had used the night well, setting up their army in strategic positions. What surprised General Omni, though, was that there had not been an attack yet. The city defenders had been up and ready for hours, waiting faithfully. If the barbarians had attacked during night the archers would be having a much harder time, yet they had still chosen to wait. Omni took this to mean that Verdane was looking for some sort of deal.

Omni had sent one of Jungby's lords, Enteir, to the Verdanians in hopes of negotiating something. He didn't know how the barbarians would react, and he feared for Enteir's life, but with such grim chances it was a necessary risk.

To some surprise Enteir returned after only a few hours and came straight to the room where Edin and Omni were waiting. Edin was shocked to see the man storming into the room without announcement, but quickly concentrated as he spoke.

"They refused to speak with me," he said, looking straight at Edin. "They would only speak with Lady Edin." He let out a very deep sigh.

Omni took a deep breath. Edin stood up at once. Omni looked at her.

"It's an obvious trap," he said.

"Of course it is. But I have to go. It's the best chance we've got."

Omni had obviously deeply considered what would be the best action if something like this were to happen. "I'm sending Luvvan and Mideel with you. Just… do the best you can. I know your capabilities, dear Duchess."

"I will. Take care of this place for me, Omni." Edin walked towards the exit at once.

"Just remember how much the bastards will feel it when the Grandbell army returns!" Omni said with devotion as she was leaving.

"So how do we do this?" Luvvan was obviously nervous beyond his poker face.

"We go straight in and ask to speak with whoever's in charge. They're probably expecting us." What was behind Edin's poker face was harder to see for the other two. The three of them had just left their horses slightly hidden among some trees and were walking towards the tents Enteir had told them about. The air felt odd for Edin, the weather was not that bad but it carried a scent of a horrible battle. It was just in her imagination, but did nothing to help her mood from being dark as ink.

"Have you ever met any Verdane royals?" Mideel asked with a slightly stressed voice which now felt casual.

"I've met the eldest prince, the one who's dead." She hesitated, looking at the camp that was getting closer and closer. "He was a nice enough man, but I never liked him. I could tell everything he said had a hidden intention."

They saw two horses approaching from the tents. Each horse was ridden by a man dressed with green leather armor embroiled with the mark of King Bator of Verdane. The men were both muscular and both had an axe on their back. This was what was to be expected for the average Verdane soldier. The common Grandbellian referred to these soldiers as "barbarians", though.

The two men didn't ask any questions, they just told Edin to follow them. She did at once. Mideel and Luvvan exchanged glances before doing the same. Straight up the nearest small hill was a large tent, looking like it had been set up in a hurry. The sheets used were of the utmost quality though. Edin and her guards were taken inside and stripped of their weapons.

The interiors seemed a lot larger than the tent looked from the inside. The tent was filled to the brim with soldiers, equipment, weapons, people helping the soldiers, and a path to a smaller room further in. The tent was noisy, the soldiers and other people all doing preparations of various kinds. Most of the soldiers in this tent were better armored than the ones who had escorted the three to the tent. Some of the soldiers wore special hats, probably commanders.

Edin, Mideel and Luvvan were escorted to the smaller room further in though. Inside were a very nice chair and four people, one of which was sitting on the chair. The man was wearing a chain mail decorated with a special version of King Bator's mark – Edin recognized it as the same used by the prince she had met earlier. This was a member of the royal family. The three other people were wearing ordinary clothes; at least what was ordinary to noble citizens of Grandbell. Edin guessed that these were advisors.

As the three people from Jungby came into the room, the royal man broke from a conversation with his advisors and looked straight at Edin. He waved at the escorts without looking at them, and they left. He stood up and held out his hand. Edin shook it.

"Hello, Lady Edin. I'm Prince Gandolph."

Gandolph was a tall man, well built like most of his soldiers. His hair was reddish brown and his face was decorated with a smirk which made him look somewhat handsome and very happy with the current situation. Edin looked deep into his eyes.

"Prince Gandolph… what do you want?" He looked just as deeply into hers and the smile was as deep as it could be.

"Isn't it simple?" he said calmly. Edin was disgusted by him already. She felt he was far more educated and well-mannered than the average Verdanian commander. "I want Jungby. For starters."

Mideel twitched. Edin almost did as well.

"You know that this is a stupid move. Once the majority of Grandbell's army returns we will draw you out. King Azmule won't be gentle." Edin knew it was a bold move to talk like that in a so hostile environment, but Gandolph kept his smile.

"I guess that means you think fighting is futile. Have you already acknowledged your loss?" Gandolph's eyes lingered at something behind Edin for half a second. More people seemed to be approaching from behind. "We know how devastating it would be to this city if we attack. So I wish we could skip the unnecessary."

The two of them exchanged glances.

"Though a battle would be a good opportunity to take out the majority of your soldiers and some civilians," Gandolph continued.

Edin knew what she would end up saying eventually, and she felt she would be so frustrated that she would burst into a futile attack if she waited much longer. Gandolph was done talking now. His face was confident, his insides probably insecure but thrilled. That insecurity was her largest problems though; if they would escalate he could do something rash. "I cannot make a deal unless you state your demands."

Gandolph was happy. "Thank you. I demand the disarming of all your soldiers and full control of your city. King Azmule shall know that Jungby is now Verdane territory and our main base for further agreements with Barhara. All your generals and commanders shall be put in the castle dungeons. And in case even that won't make Azmule take us seriously, you're coming with me back to Marpha."

"No!" Both Luvvan and Mideel stormed toward Gandolph but they were grabbed by guards standing behind them. A red-headed man got in place behind Edin in case she would do the same, but she stood still.

"Then come with me to the castle and we will speak with General Omni."

Gandolph was more satisfied than ever. "You heard the woman," he said to the red-headed man. "Form a small party and we're going to the castle. Bring the two bozos."

"Aye, sir." The red-headed man left the room, but was back only half a minute later. "We're ready ty go," he said.

The guards holding Mideel and Luvvan pushed them towards the exit. Edin was left untouched but Gandolph walked closely behind her.

During the trip back, Edin, Mideel and Luvvan were all quiet, though the latter two exchanged some very frustrated glances. They were accompanied by a party of about ten people back to Jungby. Gandolph walked in front with Edin, the red-head was behind them and Mideel and Luvvan were behind him.

Naturally they did not go for the horses the Jungvyans had hid earlier and the pace was slow, so the trip would take some time. Mideel could not stop thinking about a way out, something to save Jungby and something to save Edin. If this party reached the castle and Gandolph got his way, no one could know what would happen. It was better than suffering the siege, but it was natural that the citizens would suffer during the times to come.

And having Edin as a hostage could only do Gandolph good. Edin was a big symbol to the people of Jungby, and the other duchies would sacrifice much to get her back. Not to think of what the barbarians would put her through. She would probably be thrown in jail or even worse.

Gandolph had been brave choosing to go into town while defenses where up. Though it probably wouldn't happen, the archers could easily take him out on the way in. What effect would it have on the Verdanian army if Gandolph died? Was he important to them? Like Edin was to Jungby? Mideel didn't even know whether or not he was the royal heir, but he guessed he wasn't.

Mideel looked at Luvvan, and noticed that Luvvan was sideways glancing at the red-head's axe. Luvvan noticed Mideel was looking and their eyes met. Luvvan tilted his head. This was a signal. Could it work? It had to. Mideel nodded as slightly as he managed.

Luvvan rammed into the red-head before any of the soldiers noticed anything, and Mideel ran towards Gandolph, grabbing the red-head's axe on the way. The red-head didn't manage to get up, but he managed to yell "Prince!"

Gandolph turned around just as Mideel swiped at him and Mideel missed. Grabbing the moment, Gandolph launched his own axe into Mideel's back. Further back one of the soldiers swiped his axe at Luvvan, hitting his head.

By the time Edin had turned around they were both motionless on the ground. She shrieked and ran towards Mideel, showing her fear for the first time that day.


	5. Chapter X: Darna

This takes place about a year after chapter 5 of FE4.

* * *

Five people and one horse were approaching a city in the lush area near the Yied desert. Claude was sitting on the horse with Leene while Sylvia was walking with Corple and Lex was guiding the horse with a rope. They were all tired, having been travelling since morning, and their food supplies were running low. Claude was the most tired yet still the most optimistic; he hadn't fully healed yet but he was anxious to see the city again.

"Finally," he said. "We're here, the great city of Darna, the place of the miracle!" He looked at Sylvia, then at Lex, as if hoping one of them would comment, but went on when neither did. "It has been way too long since I set foot here. Feeling the city's presence, I regret that I avoided it during the war. I hope it hasn't changed much."

Lex turned to look at him. "I feel something special too." He walked silently, in his own mind for a moment before going on. "Are you sure we're not too optimistic about Hannibal? I mean, we're Lenster's allies so I doubt Thracia will want to let us talk to him if they recognize us. And meeting him without going through the main door would be very hard."

Claude looked away when Lex stopped speaking and started staring mindlessly at Darna's buildings. By looking at him, Lex got the feeling that Claude maybe had been unrealistically optimistic to turn up their spirits. Lex knew for sure that he had been so himself.

"I have an alias," Claude said, grabbing eye contact again. Lex' eyes flinched for a second. "I have been meeting Hannibal using the name Rufus Blude. Hannibal has told his subordinates that mister Blude is a Grandbellian noble spying for Thracia and the lie seems to have worked well. Normally King Trabant would have been suspicious about a Grandbellian meeting one of his generals regularly, but Hannibal has managed to make it seem harmless. I am sure we will get to see Hannibal easily using my alias."

Lex went silent as if processing the information.

"You should plan it beforehand, just in case." Sylvia spoke with a concerned voice. "You never know what might happen. I know you're good at these things, but please don't just improvise."

Claude looked at Sylvia, lowering his eyes as if it was more difficult to speak to her. "I will plan it, dear, believe me about that. I know as well as both you two that times are unstable and people act differently than they use to. I will be as careful as I can."

Sylvia didn't respond. They had talked about it many times before, and she was aware of how it had to be even if she didn't like it. Reaching Hannibal, and telling him everything, was the best they could possibly manage to do at the moment.

As they walked into town, they were all glad to notice that people didn't pay much attention to them. It wouldn't have been odd if they had been of public interest. Their clothes were worn and dirty and so were the people within. This was especially noticeable in Claude who was wearing a fine white shirt made for nobility, which was now torn and filled with dirt. Being very pricy, few people would usually wear such a shirt during long treks. Sylvia and Lex' clothes were less interesting, though Lex was slightly limping and both were bruised.

Darna was fabulous; the kingdoms had made sure to make it a real landmark after the war against Galle. The town walls were sturdy and geometrically perfect, and bordering the walls on the inside were large gardens and parks with almost no buildings blocking them. The road from the town gate into town was heavily decorated both with nice stones and flowers, and in the direction of the castle the travelers could see several buildings as tall as the castle itself. Three of those buildings were churches, from what Claude had told Sylvia. Lex had heard it many times during childhood.

"Ah, it is so good to see the golden shine of Narga's Cathedral!" Claude was ecstatic, having his eyes firmly on the enormous churches. The building really was shining, sparkling, like golden plates.

"They didn't really cover it with gold, did they?" Sylvia was consumed by the sight as well.

"No, they found a special mix of plants and metal to make a special paint which looks that way. But just look at how well it works! Though this is a material item, it really makes me feel the spirit of the Miracle which happened here." Claude didn't seem much distracted by Sylvia talking.

Lex had seen this before and had his thoughts in other places. "I think we should find a place to stay. Maybe it would be suspicious if the general invited three rugged strangers with children with rooms to stay in. That, and I'm tired and want to rest before we go to meet him."

"I guess you're right," Claude answered, looking down at Lex. "Could you take Leene? I want to use my feet on this road."

Lex helped Leene down, and then he helped Claude down as well. Claude drew a big breath of fresh air, looking around himself, and then started walking towards the castle. Then he collapsed on the road.

"Claude!" Sylvia yelled instantly, hurriedly passing Corple over to Lex and kneeling down by her husband. Lex stood there, calming Corple who was upset by the shock while trying to see if Sylvia could figure out what was happening. He then tried to see if anyone were coming to help – but people were walking right by as if nothing special had happened.

"He's breathing, but he's not awake," Sylvia said in a calm, scared voice. "He got some bruises from the fall, but he didn't hit his head."

Lex nodded, and looked around again. They really needed some sort of shelter where Claude could rest, preferably a room for rent. Lex realized they had been so focused on the buildings near the castle that they hadn't paid much thought to the area they were in now. It was calmer, with dozens of normal-sized houses and a few shops around them.

"Hey, you!" he said to three young men walking by. The men looked surprised, but stopped and began looking at the company of five. "We really could use some help here." Lex tried not to sound bitter, though he was. "My friend here has fainted and needs a room to rest. Could you please help us find one and carry him to it?"

Luckily, the three men agreed, though they seemed like they would have been more pleased if they had refused. One of the men pointed to an inn nearby and a while later everything and everyone was brought into a fair room.

"Thank you." Lex had got his breath back as he greeted the men away, giving them some money for the trouble. Looking around, he saw that Claude was awake, lying in the bed they had put him in. Sylvia was sitting by his side, speaking with Claude in a low voice.

"Must have been the excitement," Claude said so Lex could hear it. "I guess I just forgot how tired I was and the feeling of this place gave me fake energy. I think I need to stay in bed for a couple of hours before we go find Hannibal." The look on his face said he didn't really believe he would be able to do so.

"You need to rest at least until tomorrow!" Sylvia said, and Claude's face seemed to take it as confirmation.

"I guess so... It really is a pity." Claude sighed, looking around the room aimlessly. Lex came to sit down on a chair by the bed, and as he sat he fell deeper into the chair, surprised by the relaxation. Sylvia laid down in the bed with Claude.

"Are the children okay?" Claude asked.

"Leene is sleeping in the other bed, and Corple is sleeping in a basket they gave me. Just relax, dear." Sylvia was calming down.

As he was sitting there, Lex took his first real look at the room they were renting. It was of course of a much lower quality than the royal quarters he had been used to but it was a decently sized room for three adults and two children. Everything was clean, and there were two beds and a table with chairs. The room had one window which still lit the room with the late afternoon sun, and a desk pushed against the wall right beneath it. Across the floor was all the stuff the party had gotten with them on the trip, most of it being water, clothes and Claude's personal possessions. Lex had put his Hero Axe under one of the beds so the children couldn't reach it, and the reserve staff stood leaned against the wall.

After a while, Claude fell asleep. Lex remembered that there was shops right outside, so he went out to buy some food and returned half an hour later. Sylvia and Lex ate some of the food, and Sylvia fell asleep. Lex laid down on the carpet on the floor and fell asleep as well.

The next morning, all of them ate a good portion of bread, cheese and milk and they were full for the first time in days. Leene was as cheery as she used to be again, more lively than she had been in weeks. Claude could barely keep his balance on the floor, however, so he had to stay in bed. He had woken up with a fever, and was depressed at the thought of not being in the shape to go meet Hannibal. Sylvia and Lex refused to let him go out when he suggested doing so, and he knew inside that it would in fact turn out bad. So they decided to stay in the room until he got better. Lex took Leene out to see the city that day, while Sylvia stayed inside with Claude and Corple.

The next day, Claude was neither worse nor better, so they decided to keep waiting. Lex went out the whole day again, this time looking around military areas while trying to go unnoticed. Later he went to shops, discreetly mentioning General Hannibal to the shopkeepers while buying something. He found out that the general was most likely to be found in a military command center in the eastern portion of town, and that the general would be staying in Darna for at least one more month. When he returned that day he was sort of glad that they hadn't rushed into the castle asking for Hannibal on the first day. He went on to discuss things with Sylvia and Claude, and they concluded the best thing would probably be to simply ask at the main door of the eastern command center, with Claude using his alias.

The third and fourth days the situation was still unchanged and all of them were getting restless. When Claude's fever was the same the fifth day, Lex decided not to wait any longer.

"I'll go alone," he announced that morning. He kept on before anyone could interrupt. "I'll say Blude sent me to talk to Hannibal, and if they question it I'll say it should be up to the general to make such conclusions."

Claude thought for a moment. "Are you sure? You never know what might happen. The guards might find you very suspicious."

"I know, but I have to. We knew we were taking a risk by coming here, I'm just making the risk a little bit larger. And if I get to meet him, he can probably find a way to cure your fever and injuries."

Claude had doubted in Lex' judgment earlier, but now he knew that it was at least on par with his own, so he let him go. Sylvia was more skeptical, but she too knew that it might be the only way to make the trip worth it. Her biggest fear was that Claude could get worse, and it was much safer to get a cure by Hannibal than to try some doctor in town.

So Lex left the room alone, trying to think about the architecture in town to avoid getting nervous about the coming encounter which could be lethal for him. This was what he had been planning on for weeks, since that day Claude had mentioned the secrets of General Hannibal. But Claude had been supposed to be the man taking contact, Claude was the man who knew everything, so this was going to be hard.

Lex had bought some very nice clothes at an extremely high price to extend the impression of being a nobleman, and he thought that it would be very convincing as long as he used his real dialect. Claude had told him what Claude thought to be the most helpful information, but as Claude hadn't met Hannibal in years and knew nothing of what the general was doing in Darna, it wasn't enough to make Lex feel safe. And, he thought, what if he got to meet the general but the general thought of him as an impostor?

What about that? Lex felt like an idiot, not having thought about that earlier, having trusted maybe too much in Hannibal's will to help. What if Hannibal had him taken to the dungeons on the spot? His marks of Neir would be found, and he would be a very valuable prisoner to Thracia. Maybe he would be transferred to Grandbell as a peace offering, and executed by Alvis as a public example. Or maybe Trabant would have him killed himself. This day was in so many ways going to be a day of determination for Lex' life.

After a long walk, Lex was there, outside the Thracian command centre. He felt like standing right there, behind a corner maybe, for hours. He did know that doing that would only make him perform worse though, so he decided he was ready to act. And he had decided how to do it.

The main entrance had two guards, and the door was closed shut. The guards were both armed and armored, though they were armored lightly and thus capable of making a pursuit. Lex walked straight up to them and allowed the guards to make the first word.

"Hello sir, what do you come here for?" The guard who was speaking was acting polite, maybe recognizing Lex as a nobleman. Lex regretted that he hadn't shaved his beard.

"I wish to see General Hannibal. My name is Rufus Blude."

The guards glanced at each other immediately at hearing the name.

"Please step inside, Mister Blude!" The guard who had spoken earlier opened the doors, while the other accompanied Lex inside. The guard who had opened the doors quickly ran up some stairs ahead and another couple of soldiers went to guard the main door.

Lex was guided up along two somewhat long corridors and into a dining room, where the guard told him to wait. This was somewhat unusual, Lex thought, sitting down at an empty table an glancing at another table where several soldiers were eating. Lex had never before been in Thracia and knew little of their customs, but he felt sure that being greeted into a dining room was not normal. Maybe it was something special for spies, to take away attention, though he was definitely not blending well with the commoners in the room.

He was thinking about the oddity of the situation, feeling relaxed about thinking about it. He was perfectly aware that this was the first time he was ever under cover, and that if any of these people found out there would be no possible escape. But he somehow managed to push that to the back o his mind, instead thinking about what would be practical to figure out.

He noticed footsteps behind him, and as he turned around he saw a very familiar-looking man. The man was heavily decorated and looking straight at him.

"Ah, Rufus! It's been so long! Please come this way."

The man had to be General Hannibal, and Lex realized that he had seen the man before in Dozel. It had been a meeting where Lex' father was hiring some Thracian dragon knights to stop bandits. They hadn't spoken to each other at that time, but there was no doubt that this was the man. Hannibal was young for a general, maybe five years older than Lex, and carried a kind of controlled face that made him very recognizable. He was clean shaved with long, brown hair, and seemed to have an extreme authority over the soldiers. Several of the people on the nearby table flinched and sat up straight the moment they noticed his presence.

As Lex followed the man he felt unsure about Hannibal having referring to him as Rufus in such a friendly manner, knowing Lex wasn't Claude. But he felt safe now, the general had lied in front of his own men for Lex' sake so something had to be going right. Lex only smiled and hoped he wouldn't have to talk in front of anyone else, and luckily he was drawn into an empty office room soon afterwards.

They both sat down, and Hannibal was suddenly emotionless.

"General Hannibal." Lex said.

The general was more direct. "I was ecstatic at hearing about Sir Blude coming. But I'm surprised to see you instead, Lord Lex."

Lex didn't know to think of this as an accusation or not, but trusting Claude he felt that he could be honest with this man.

"So you do recognize me," he said, smiling a little. "I'll be direct, general. Claude sent me. He was going to come himself, but he is sick and needs help. He believes that you are one of the people that can do something to help, now that we have all become refugees."

Hannibal smiled.

"Thank Dain! When you came, I thought he was dead. Please, where can I find him?"

Lex was surprised at how easy it had been, but soon the two of them were heading towards the room where Claude and Sylvia were staying.

Fifteen minutes after Lex left Claude and Sylvia, two men were walking into the inn, armed with swords. They killed the clerk, and went straight to the room where Sylvia and Claude were. Claude was sound asleep, and Sylvia was washing the table with Leene when the door burst open.

"Who the-" Sylvia started as she saw the two figures, but one of them was already walking into the room and he pushed her forcefully into the wall.

"It will be easier to get him with us if we kill him," the other, slightly thicker one said. Sylvia gave out a shriek and ran towards the man, trying to ram him, but the thinner man grabbed her and held her against the wall.

"Do it," the thinner one said as he easily held onto the screaming woman. Leene had run to hide in a corner, and Corple had waked up and started crying.

The thicker man looked down at Claude who had just woken from the sounds. The man almost looked like he was sorry, and just as Claude realized what was going on he was stabbed through the heart.

Sylvia shrieked even louder, but fell over and stopped struggling as she was crying uncontrollably. The thinner man held his head at a distance to avoid the sound, until he thought of wrapping a piece of cloth he found around Sylvia's mouth to stop some of it. She struggled again desperately, trying with all her might to get away but he stopped her.

"What do we do with this one?" he yelled.

"Just stop the damn screaming!" yelled the thicker one, who was staring at Claude's corpse.

The thinner one turned Sylvia around and cut her throat. He let go of her and her body fell to the floor. Corple was still crying but the room felt silent to them now.

"It's a shame though," the thicker one said, looking at her dead, bleeding body. "She was really cute." The other one nodded. "So do we take the baby?" the thicker one said.

"Forget the baby. Don't you see it's got an older sister?" The thinner one was looking at Leene, who was sitting petrified in the corner, as the blood of her mother was reaching her feet. "I'll take the girl down to Rodd and the cart, and we'll come back for the priest afterwards. Take the staff, will you?"

The thinner one carried Leene, now screaming, down to a cart which stood parked outside. The thicker one took the reserve staff, and afterwards they came back and carried Claude's body to the same cart. They left Corple and the clerk's and Sylvia's bodies behind.

A couple of hours later Lex and Hannibal came to the scene.


	6. Chapter X: Darna part 2

Leene would never forget the day.

She sat in the cart, crying. She saw a man, one of the two scary men who had been in the room when her mom fell, sitting very close to her. She was so scared she couldn't make a sound, so she hid in the corner of the cart trying to think that the man couldn't see her. And in the middle of the cart was her dad, and he was just lying there, and his clothes were full of blood. She thought he had fainted again, but it had to be really bad since he was bleeding so much.

She wanted to help him by calling for her mom, but her mom was lying back in the room and that was far away. She looked up at her dad. He wasn't moving. She looked at the scary man, but then he looked back at her and she hurriedly turned around to face the wall. She sat there, crying to herself without a sound. She wanted to go back to mom and Corple, and she wanted dad to wake up. But the man was so scary, she couldn't ask him.

She sat there a long time without doing anything before the cart stopped. She heard the man behind her go up, and she hoped he would go away. She heard him walk out and felt slightly relieved. She peeked in his direction and didn't see him, so she ran to her dad and looked at him, completely still. His face was weird, and there was blood everywhere. She whispered "Dad!" but he didn't wake up. She slapped him in the face and said "Dad!" again, only higher. He didn't even make a sound or flinch. She wanted him to move, she wanted him to wake up! "Wake up, dad," she said in a loud, desperate voice. "Dad!" she said again, hitting him more. "Dad!" she said, almost choking. She couldn't control herself, started beating him wildly, before she lost her breath and fell down on his chest. And she was crying so she barely could draw her breath, and she knew it was out loud now but she didn't care if the scary man could hear her. She just wanted dad to wake up. "DAAAAAAAD!" she screamed. She screamed until she had to breathe, and then she screamed more. She heard someone walking behind her but she didn't care, she just kept screaming.

Then someone picked her up, she didn't care who it was, but she wanted to be with dad. "NOOO! DAAAAD!" she yelled, but she was already outside the cart. Two men were walking into it while the one holding her walked through a door and into a dark room. She tried squirming, beating and kicking at him, biting him, but all he did was hold her more tightly, and it hurt. She kept screaming "DAAAAD!", intentionally trying to yell as close to the man's ear as possible.

"Shut your mouth!" he suddenly yelled just as loudly, and his voice was really scary. She went quiet and stopped trying to hurt him, but she squirmed more than ever. The man still held her tight as easily as ever.

Earm and Jorge carried Claude's body while Rodd carried the staff. After walking through a few short corridors and up a set of stairs they reached the door. Rodd opened while the other two went in first. A man behind a desk in the room got up quickly as they came in. He watched with eagerness as they put the dead body on his floor.

"It all went well, Master Buffer," Jorge said to the man. Jorge looked at Buffer and saw Buffer looking at the body like the most interesting thing he had ever seen. "Sorry about the blood on your floor," Jorge added.

Buffer sat down near the body, touching the clothes and the head, removing the hair that was blocking Claude's face. "Yes... this truly is Father Claude. He was an annoying sod when alive, but oh how much I will earn when I present this to Lord Alvis…" He looked up at the three other men who were exchanging glances. "You will all get your fair shares as well, of course." He looked over Claude's body, checking if there was anything worth notice. He found two thin bracelets around each wrist and a very nice golden necklace around Claude's neck. He held up the necklace, looking at it closely. It had a motive of a dragon, probably Narga, sitting on top of a pillar. The dragon's eyes seemed to be real, tiny diamonds. He smiled, wiped the necklace clean and put it around his own neck. He then took three of the bracelets and threw one to each of the three men. "I guess you all deserve a little souvenir."

Rodd looked satisfied. "And here is the staff, Master." He handed the reserve staff which Earm had taken from the room in the inn.

Buffer took it with a smile, but the smile faded when he looked down at the staff. "This is a very fine staff. But are you sure it's the Valkyrie Staff?"

"Just look at it!" Jorge said maybe a little too loudly. "Look how nice it looks! And we found it leaned against the wall right by the bed. We couldn't see any other staves in the room."

Buffer was scratching behind his ear. "I hope you're right. I heard it would be less decorated, but that was just a rumor. I'll have it checked with the clerics later. You said everything went according to plan?" He held the staff in his hands, feeling every curve and looking at it from every angle.

"Yes. We went straight in, killed the man and his wife. Then we took his body, the staff and… the kid." Jorge smiled at Buffer as Buffer looked up at him.

"They had a kid?" Buffer smiled as well.

"They had a toddler girl and a baby. We took the girl."

"You should have taken both!" Buffer was outraged for half a second until he regained his happiness. Jorge was shocked. "But please, show me the girl at once!"

Soon they were downstairs in a resting room, where the only other people were Leene and the man who had taken her inside. Leene was sleeping heavily on a bed, and the man was relaxing next to her. "She fell asleep from exhaustion," he said as Buffer and the others came into the room. "And that is good for you, she caused quite a racket earlier."

Buffer was as fascinated with her as he had been with Claude. He approached the little, sleeping body and looked at her face. She reminded him a little of Claude, but only slightly. It was hard to draw comparisons to a face as pale and lifeless as Claude's had been.

"The next heir of Blagi…" He stroked her hair a little. "Did you check her for the mark?"

"I'm sorry to say we didn't," Earm said. "I don't like dealing with children, and she wasn't very cooperative."

"I wonder why…" Buffer remarked sarcastically as he moved Leene's hair around looking for markings. Behind her left ear he found it. "There it is! It's shaped like a crescent moon… and it is almost as if it's glowing somehow…" Even though he knew he couldn't see it, he sensed a bright, green glow coming from the mark. He turned around. "Did you find out what her name is?"

"No. You'll have to let her tell it herself."

Buffer looked back at the girl, and then calmly turned back to the three men. "You have done a good job. You are all dismissed for the night." He turned to the man who had taken the girl inside. "So are you. I will take her from here."

He sat there looking at the girl long after the men had left. He was genuinely satisfied – selling Claude's body to Lord Alvis would both give him a lot a money and a lot of honor. He would be recognized as a trustworthy man loyal to Barhara, and that would increase his business opportunities immensely. But he would keep the staff and the girl a secret – he would have her raised with the children of his workers. If he ever needed a trump card he now had the heir of Blagi hidden right in front of everyone.


	7. Chapter X: The Black Knight

Leene sat in the back alley, resting from a tiresome day. Master Bramsel was holding a birthday celebration for his father, Master Buffer, and all the dancers had been working since morning, preparing, serving and dancing. The party was still going as the evening was getting darker, but Leene was luckily done for the day. She was dreadfully tired, her feet aching like never before and the barrel she was sitting on felt like heaven. She thought about going to the dormitories and just going to sleep, but chose to wait. It was calm sitting here, enjoying the spirit of the night.

The air was chill, though there was no wind, and the sky was open and filled with stars. The moon was crescent and shining brightly. The air was filled with the scent of alcohol and delicious food. The alley itself was dark and lonely, with the sound of someone walking through the street at the end every now and then. The dining hall in the building right behind her was producing a horrible amount of noise from blabbering and music, but she enjoyed it because she was no longer part of it.

She could do whatever she wanted for the rest of the night, and didn't have to work the next day. Getting a day off work was a rare occurrence, so she was going to enjoy it. She was planning to sleep until afternoon and then go to the market with Laylea. Spend almost all her money and then just deal with the consequences later. At least that's what she wanted to do. She knew she couldn't really spend that much.

And there went that idea of doing something fun. Now the trip to the market would be just a normal trip with a little extra. Getting a few things for herself wouldn't be fun when she had gotten expectations for something much bigger… She sat there disappointed, wondering how she could make her spare time not be a waste. Well, at least sleeping for several hours more than usual would be nice.

Then the song inside changed, and she had a thought. She would just go back inside, attend the party like the rich people. The servants surely wouldn't stop her. If she saw any superiors who recognized her it would be trouble, but she needed the thrill right now. Anyhow, cut wages was something she could handle, and by comparing the amount of treats of being thrown out on the streets with the amount of times she had actually been thrown out on the streets, she felt safe. She knew she would keep her wages at least.

So she would have fun! In the way the rich people had fun. From serving at many celebrations and such she knew that it required the same amount of alcohol, though with a little more elegance and rules. If she could get as far as getting a seat at a table, she would master it just fine.

The voices inside went louder as if to challenge her, and her nerves were throbbing as she stood up to face the door. "It'll be fun" she said out loud to herself, and then she walked straight towards the door and pushed her way through. At once she was inside again, in a totally different environment and her nerves had already calmed down.

Her eyes flickered automatically towards the kitchen, the stage with dancers and the servants walking around with drinks. She had to force herself to look instead at the people who were sitting at the tables and dancing at the dance floor. How would she fit in with them? She decided not to dwell on it and walked to a table with three young men and a young woman, all looking almost like nobles by their clothes.

"Mind if I sit down?" She asked the group as a whole.

"Please," said one man.

"I don't mind," said another.

"Ugh, she's a servant!" said the woman to the two men who had answered.

"Do sit down," said the third man.

Leene was glad she could use her looks to get what she wanted.

From there on the night went well. She was welcomed by several of the attendants, having good conversations and laughs with many people. The other servants mostly met her with quiet laughs, which made her laugh quietly as well. A couple of times she met angry glances both from random attendants and people she thought she might be working for, but she didn't worry. A couple of drinks she got served by young men made it all more enjoyable as well.

After a few hours, many people had left, some had fallen asleep and the noisiest drunk people had been sent home. Overall the mood was much calmer. Laylea was off duty now and she had dared to join as well, so the two of them were sitting at a bench talking and enjoying the situation. They were both now sure that they would get yelled at later and probably get docked a lot of their pay after a few meetings with their direct superiors. The superiors had been calm at the encounters, but Leene and Laylea's theory was that they didn't want to make a scene. Being harsh towards servants was something everyone was doing but no one showed others that they were doing.

"Can I have a dance?" Leene looked up, and much to her surprise she had been addressed by a young man, around twenty years old. This was the first time during the evening when someone else had taken the initiative to talk to her. The man was clean-shaven and had blonde hear, and he was wearing a nice black suit. His voice was dark, but not rough. Judging from his accent he was from somewhere east. Leene found him somewhat handsome.

"Sorry, but I hate dancing." The man stood there for a few moments, thinking.

"Can I at least sit down?"

"Be my guest."

The man calmly came to the bench and sat down right by Leene. He looked straight at her, waiting a while before speaking. He didn't seem nervous but he appeared to spend some time thinking about what to say.

"What is your name?" he asked after a moment.

"Leene." A light went on in his face.

"My name is Ares. I'm a travelling knight."

Leene was shocked. Small talk among the servants came to mind.

"What? Ares, like the Black Knight?" said Laylea in a shocked voice. Apparently she had been surprised as well.

The man smiled a little. "That's what some people call me. What, have you heard of me?"

Leene replied confidently. "There has been word that the Black Knight with the Demon Sword is in Darna. It is easy for you to say that you are him though." Leene didn't really know what to think, but she sensed that she liked this man. Laylea was sitting excited at her side.

Ares leaned forward. Leene reacted by leaning backwards a little, almost losing balance and falling on Laylea. "This is going to sound odd to you," Ares said in a low, calm voice, "but I think I am in Darna because of you."

"What?" Leene lost balance but grabbed the table before she fell. Ares chuckled a little.

"Could you please turn you head sideways so I can look at your ear?"

This freaked Leene out. Did _he_ know about her birthmark? How could he? Leene looked at Laylea, who seemed equally puzzled. Then she looked at Ares, who was very confident in his face. Could this mean something? It had to. What were the chances that a man claiming to be one of the continent's most famous knights would come here and ask her about the mark, the one she herself had been puzzled about for years?

"Come with me out to the alley," she told him and walked off quickly. She turned around when she reached the door and saw Laylea and Ares following, and they all walked into the dark back alley. It was just like before, with the scent of alcohol, the stars and the loud noises from inside.

She looked deeply at Ares, wondering whether or not to open up to this stranger. She felt she had already made her choice the last time she looked at the mark with a mirror. She walked to the wall and leaned against it, and then looked at Ares again. "Come and look at it."

He looked back at her for a few seconds before he walked calmly to where she was standing. He stopped half a meter away from her, and when he raised his arm to push her ear aside she turned her head to make it easier for him. She stood there as he was looking at it, feeling his fingers on her ear. It felt very odd. The only interesting thing she could see with her head in the current angle was Laylea who was staring at Ares. He looked at the mark for at least a minute before he let go.

"It's incredible!" Leene heard him say and she turned her head back towards him. He was leaning against the wall several meters away and staring blankly up at the sky. "It is exactly the same! Only yours is green and shaped differently." Leene wondered what he was talking about as he took off his shirt. He was a muscular man and normally she would enjoy a sight like that, but she was far more obsessed with what the point was right now. Then he turned around so she could see his left shoulder and she was astonished.

Covering about a quarter of his shoulder there was a mark just like hers. Well, it was shaped more like a rugged circle, but it had the same invisible glow as her crescent moon and it was equally distinguishable from the skin around it. Ares' mark was much larger than her moon though, and the invisible glow was even stronger. It was yellow but not yellow at all, and very bright. She walked closer to see it better, and so did Laylea. Ares sat down on a barrel without taking his shirt back on.

"Thank you," he said to Leene. "Thank you, Leene. Since I was a child I have wondered what that mark means, and now I see that you have one as well. At least I don't feel as alone now."

Leene smiled at him, and then an obvious thought came back to her mind. "How did you know about me and my mark? And how did you know I was here?"

He straightened his back a little. Obviously he had been waiting for the question. "Will you believe me? It sounds rather far-fetched."

"Try me. That thing on your shoulder kinda changes what I would expect a stranger to say."

He sighed. "About a month ago I was in Alster, claiming my check for some mercenary work. The night before me and the company were about to leave, I had a hard time sleeping. So I got up, left the room and went for the kitchen of the inn I was staying at for some food. When I reached the kitchen I was surprised by a very strange woman." Ares' face went lighter when he mentioned the woman.

"I have been thinking about this woman ever since I met her, because she was just so… I felt like she wasn't supposed to be there, like she was real but contradicting reality. Or something. She was around thirty years or so, and her hair – her long, lush hair – was as white as snowflakes are before they hit the ground. Her face was much more colorful, and she was wearing a bright grey dress which reached all the way down to her feet. It was very thin and I could easily see her curves through it." His face was beaming with every word he said, and he said every word without losing eye contact. Leene thought he would glance a little at her curves as he said those last words, but he didn't. She came to sit on the barrel with him. "She smelled like the forest, in a distinct way that reminded me of a place I travelled to a few years ago…"

He paused and Leene grabbed the chance to get in some words. "What did she do?"

Ares thought for a few moments before talking again, this time more calmly. "She was already in the room when I came there, I didn't notice her at first but I turned to see her after hearing her close a closet door. At first I thought she worked at the inn and would scold me for going to the kitchen at the middle of the night, but she didn't seem to mind my presence. And I remembered the place was driven by a married couple and I had already met both of them."

"She spoke to me a short while after I noticed she was there. And she said…" He turned to stare straight into the brick wall on the other side of the alley. He was totally caught in the story he was telling, and experiencing again the emotions the supposed night had given him. His eyes were wet and he stuttered as he went on. "She said that I had to go to Darna and meet a young dancer named Leene." He looked at Leene again.

"What?" Leene thought she said out loud but apparently didn't. Was she expected to believe some strange woman he hadn't met before would just face him and say that? But she didn't complain to Ares, because his story felt somehow real. And she felt that his mark made him tied to her somehow.

"You can tell I was surprised." She felt she had to reply. He was probably unsure of whether she believed him, much like she was.

"I can," she said simply. And the glance he gave her made her sure he was being honest. She was convinced Laylea wouldn't agree so much, but Laylea's presence was something she didn't care about at the moment.

"I was so surprised that I just stood there, wondering what the woman was talking about. But when I didn't say anything, she kept talking. She knew she had my attention, that's for sure. And she said that I had to stay with this Leene for a while. She said it would help me learn more about my father. She said it would even help me take part in making a better world."

All Leene could really do was look at him numbed. Help him learn about his father? Help him make a better _world_? She knew nothing of the world, and the only knights and lords she had met were the ones she had served and entertained. Was there something more, something better, for her to do? A way out of this horrid place? "Who is your father?"

"My father was murdered when I was a small child. He was the king of Nodion, one of the big cities of Agustria."

Leene didn't know shock any more, but she was still taken off guard. "You're a _prince_?"

He smiled at her reaction. "Well, my family lost all claim to ruling that place when the Grandbell army invaded Agustria, under Lord Sigurd's command." He became harsh when saying this, especially upon pronouncing "Sigurd". "I have to ask you, Leene, please, do you know anything about my father?"

"I'm sorry. I've never been to Agustria and never even heard of Nodion."

Ares got up at once and slammed his hand against the wall.

"I'm sorry," Leene added.

Ares stood there, breathing heavily. He was now leaning against the wall with the arm he had hit it with, and the arm was shaking. He made sure to keep his face in the opposite direction from Leene, and looked up at the stars.

"I didn't finish my story," he said. "After she told me I could change the world, I asked her who she was. She said it didn't matter. I was too fascinated by her to object. Then she told me that finding Leene would be easy if I looked for the people working for a man named Bramsel. And she told me to say to Leene that her parents were great people who fought for a good cause, and that I would find the mark of her father behind her left ear." He stopped for a while, but when Leene didn't speak he kept talking. "Then she just walked out the door. It took a few moments before I thought of chasing her, but then she was gone without a trace. I looked for her the next day but to no luck. I saw that woman for less than two minutes of my life, but I've been thinking about that moment ever since."

He turned around to look down at Leene.

"All I know of my parents is what the child caretaker told me when I was little. She told me that both my parents died at the Battle of Barhara. Are you saying that I got my mark from my father, and you got yours from your father?"

"I guess so."

"And they died fighting for a good cause… yet I don't even know which damn side they were on in that battle."

"I think they were on the right one, that's what matters," Ares said.

Leene stood up and hugged the man who she had only known for a short while. "Thank you," she said.

Ares patted her back. "I want to stay here with you," he said. "I really think there was a purpose for what that woman said."

Leene let go. "I've got a day off tomorrow," she said. "I could come visit you and your company."

They scheduled a time and place to meet the next day. Leene made sure it was on the afternoon so she could enjoy that extra sleep. Then she said goodbye and left with Laylea who had been sitting there the entire time. Ares stayed behind and went back inside after taking his shirt on.


	8. Chapter X: Family

This takes place shortly after chapter 20 of FE5. The Lenster and Isaac armies have just met and people are in a good mood.

* * *

Nanna was sitting alone in the hall. The room was filled with people walking and running in all directions, people enjoying themselves, people eating and people arguing, but Nanna barely noticed them in her relaxation. She had just realized that this was the first time since she were in Fiana that she felt absolutely safe, and she had no business to attend to. So she was in a perfect mood.

She was looking at the neverending movements of people in front of her, without moving her glare in any directions. Every once in a while a familiar face would pop up, walk by and disappear. She had just seen Othin. Or maybe it was Halvan; she didn't really remember or care. Oh, and there was Eda running stressed across the view. Further back was Mareeta walking calmly followed by some man with blonde hear. The man looked somewhat familiar, probably some soldier from the city. They were navigating through the masses, talking about something, and Nanna realized they were walking towards her.

She met Mareeta's glance and noticed that Mareeta looked very happy. So did the man, though he also looked nervous. He was looking at the people around Nanna, saying something to Mareeta. Then Mareeta pointed directly at Nanna, and the man looked Nanna straight in the eyes. Nanna felt odd, like they were going to tell her something important.

Mareeta reached Nanna first. "This man wants to talk to you," she said, almost laugh-crying and turning around to look at the man. His smile had vanished and he looked much more nervous.

"Nanna?" the man said and reached out his hand. He sounded a little like Ares. She took his hand. "I believe you are my sister. My name is Delmud."

She didn't know the expression on her face but judging by Delmud's newly found smile she guessed she was smiling as well. She dropped the hand and threw herself forward to hug him.


End file.
